Question 1

Ethical choices often prove costly to firms in the short term.

Accepted Answer

Ethical choices may require additional expenses, such as investing in sustainable and ethical sourcing, fair pay for workers, or environmental protections. These costs may impact profitability in the short term, but can lead to long-term benefits such as improved reputation and customer loyalty. Therefore, ethical choices may prove costly to firms in the short term.

Question 2

A supplier has just been awarded a large contract by your company. As an employee in purchasing, you were largely responsible for awarding that supplier the contract. The supplier's sales representative has just called and would like to take you to lunch to thank you for the support. Going to lunch with the sale representative does not present any ethical problems.

Accepted Answer

As an employee in purchasing, going to lunch with a sales representative who has been awarded a large contract could be perceived as a conflict of interest, and could potentially create an ethical issue. It is better to decline the invitation and maintain professional boundaries.

Question 3

Taking advantage of a party in a contract situation due to the party's inexperience, and not due to any lack of disclosure on your part, is ethical.

Accepted Answer

Taking advantage of someone's inexperience is not ethical, even if it is not due to any lack of disclosure on your part. Fair and ethical business practices require treating all parties in a contract situation with respect and honesty, regardless of their level of experience.

Question 4

You are taking a graduate level course in management that will help you in performing your duties at work. Each week you must submit case analyses to your professor. Using work time to complete the analyses would be unethical.

Accepted Answer

Using work time to complete personal tasks, such as school work, would be considered unethical as it is not fulfilling the responsibilities and duties assigned by the employer. It would be more appropriate to complete the case analyses during personal time or outside of work hours.

Question 5

"Everyone else does it," is a signal of an ethical pitfall.

Accepted Answer

The fact that “everyone else does it” is not a valid justification for any unethical behavior. It is important to evaluate our actions based on their merit and consistency with ethical principles, rather than simply following the crowd.

Question 6

Speeding is not an ethical issue as long as you are in the normative range of the speed limit.

Accepted Answer

Speeding, even within a normative range, can still pose ethical issues as it involves disregarding set speed limits meant to ensure safety for all road users, potentially putting others at risk.

Question 7

"The lawyers have okayed this," is a signal that the decision/action is legal and ethical.

Accepted Answer

While lawyers may confirm that a decision or action is legal, it does not necessarily mean it is ethical. Legal standards and ethical standards are not always aligned.

Question 8

If I discover that a fellow employee is reporting falsely his overtime hours, it is best for me to say nothing and ignore the situation.

Accepted Answer

Falsifying overtime hours is unethical and illegal. As an employee, it is your responsibility to report such misconduct to the appropriate authority. Ignoring the situation may result in financial losses for the company and also affect the morale of honest employees.

Question 9

Accepting gifts from suppliers and vendors is not a problem so long as no bid decisions are pending.

Accepted Answer

Accepting gifts from suppliers and vendors creates a conflict of interest and could potentially influence future bid decisions, even if no decision is currently pending. It is considered unethical and violates many companies' policies and codes of conduct.

Question 10

You are a building inspector for the county. A friend of yours is a plumbing contractor. Under county regulations, all steps in plumbing construction from the initial dig to the final installation of sink and bathroom fixtures requires an inspection sign-off. Your plumbing contractor friend has just called and wants to take you to dinner for your birthday at a five-star restaurant. Because you are friends anyway, the dinner presents no ethical problems.

Accepted Answer

The situation presents a potential conflict of interest, as accepting a gift from a contractor could compromise the impartiality of the building inspector's inspection. It would be considered unethical to accept the dinner invitation from the friend.

Question 11

Your company's policy on company vehicles is that no family members may use them or ride in them. It would be unethical to use a company car to drive you and your spouse to a movie.

Accepted Answer

Using a company vehicle for personal use, such as going to a movie with a spouse, is a violation of the company's policy on company vehicles. It is also an unethical use of company resources.

Question 12

The failure to disclose relevant information about a product or service would be withholding information or giving a false impression.

Accepted Answer

Withholding information or giving a false impression is considered a failure to disclose relevant information about a product or service.

Question 13

If my supervisor asked me to cover for him by lying about his whereabouts, I should agree to do it but remind him that I can't make it a habit.

Accepted Answer

Lying is not acceptable behavior, even if asked by a supervisor. It is important to communicate this to the supervisor and find a more ethical solution.

Question 14

If I worked in purchasing in my company, it would be a conflict of interest and unethical for me to accept season tickets for my city's NBA team from the company that has supplied catering for the company's training sessions.

Accepted Answer

Accepting gifts or benefits from suppliers or clients can create a conflict of interest and compromise professional judgment. It is important to avoid such situations to maintain ethical standards and ensure fair and objective decision-making.

Question 15

If I discovered that I unintentionally violated a federal environmental regulation, I should just wait and see if anything happens before taking any action.

Accepted Answer

It is important to take immediate action to correct any unintentional violations of federal environmental regulations. Waiting to see if anything happens can lead to increased liability and potential legal consequences. It is best to notify the appropriate agency and work with them to address the violation as soon as possible.

Question 16

The failure to speak out when an ethical or legal lapse occurs within your firm is in itself an ethical violation.

Accepted Answer

Staying silent about an ethical or legal lapse within your firm can be seen as condoning the wrongful behavior, making it an ethical violation. Therefore, it is important to speak out and report any wrongful behavior to maintain ethical standards within the organization.

Question 17

Attending a class on company time would be taking advantage or taking things that do not belong to you and unethical.

Accepted Answer

Attending a class on company time without prior approval or without compensating for the time is considered as stealing time and is unethical.

Question 18

Labeling infertility surgery as "diagnostic surgery" in order to allow the patient to recover the costs from an insurer is unethical.

Accepted Answer

Labeling infertility surgery as "diagnostic surgery" to defraud an insurer is unethical as it is misrepresenting the nature of the procedure and abusing the insurance system. It is important to accurately label medical procedures for ethical and legal reasons.

Question 19

A company executive exerting pressure on a scientist and her university to delay disclosure of study results harmful to the company and its products would be unethical.

Accepted Answer

Deliberately delaying the disclosure of study results that could be harmful to the public for the sake of company profits is unethical and goes against scientific integrity. It also raises concerns about conflicts of interest and prioritizing financial gain over public safety.

Question 20

You are taking a graduate level course in management that will help you in performing your duties at work. Each week you must submit case analyses to your professor. Using your work computer and paper to complete the case analyses would be unethical.

Accepted Answer

Using work resources for personal activities, such as a graduate course, can be considered unethical and potentially against company policies. It is recommended to use personal resources for this purpose.

Quiz 1: Ethical Theory, Philosophical Foundations, Our Reasoning Flaws, and Types of Ethical Dilemmas